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The Living Book of Lore
Every creature or being that was thought to be mythical . . . isn’t. They all secretly exist alongside humans and enjoy the gift of immortality. There are hundreds of different kinds: from Vampires to Lykae, from Furies to Shifters, from the Fey to Valkyries. These immortals call their world The Lore. You may have had a brush with one of Lorekind already. The eccentric billionaire with hypnotic charisma—and an aversion to sunlight. The ethereal waif of impossible beauty—whose fingernails look more like claws. The Highlander with a seventeenth-century Scottish accent and animal magnetism—who can never be penciled in on the night of the full moon. They walk among us, but they war among themselves. Each faction has its strengths, weaknesses, and age old prejudices against the others. Every five hundred years, the Accession, a battle for supremacy, rages. That time is now. . . . The Lore "… and those sentient creatures that are not human shall be united in one stratum, coexisting with, yet secret from, man’s." The Valkyrie "When a maiden warrior screams for courage as she dies in battle, Wóden and Freya heed her call. The two gods give up lightning to strike her, rescuing her to their hall, and preserving her courage forever in the form of the maiden’s immortal Valkyrie daughter." *Take sustenance from the electrical energy of the earth, sharing it in one collective power, and give it back with their emotions in the form of lightning. *Possess preternatural strength and speed. *Without training, they can be mesmerized by shining objects and jewels. The Lykae Clan "A proud, strapping warrior of the Keltoi People (or Hidden People, later known as Celts) was taken in his prime by a maddened wolf. The warrior rose from the dead, now an immortal, with the spirit of the beast latent within him. He displayed the wolf’s traits: the need for touch, an intense loyalty to its kind, an animal craving for the delights of the flesh. Sometimes the beast rises …" *Also called werewolves, war-wolds. *Enemies of the Horde. The Vampires *Two warring factions, the Vampire Horde and the Forbearer Army. *Each vampire seeks his Bride, his eternal wife, and walks as the living dead until he finds her. *A Bride will render his body fully alive, giving him breath and making his heart beat, a process known as blooding. *Tracing is teleporting, the vampire’s means of travel. A vampire can only trace to destinations he’s previously been. *The Fallen are vampires who have killed by drinking a victim to death. Distinguished by their red eyes. The Horde In the first chaos of the Lore, a brotherhood of vampires dominated, by relying on their cold nature, worship of logic, and absence of mercy. They sprang from the harsh steppes of Dacia and migrated to Russia, though some say a secret enclave, the Daci, live in Dacia still." *Their ranks are comprised of the Fallen. *Enemies of most factions in the Lore. The Forbearers " … his crown stolen, Kristoff, the rightful Horde king, stalked the battlefields of antiquity seeking the strongest, most valiant human warriors as they died, earning him the name of Gravewalker. He offered eternal life in exchange for eternal fealty to him and his growing army." *An army of vampires consisting of turned humans, who do not drink blood directly from the flesh. *Kristoff was raised as a human and then lived among them. He and his army know little of the Lore. *Enemies of the Horde. The Demonarchies "The demons are as varied as the bands of man …" *A collection of demon dynasties. *Most demon breeds can trace like vampires. Some breeds are bound to obey summons. *Those that can emit poison from their fangs, horns, or claws are more vulnerable to others’ poison. *Many demon breeds must have intercourse with a potential mate to ascertain if she’s truly his—a process known as attempting. The House of Witches "… immortal possessors of magickal talents, practitioners of good and evil." *Mystical mercenaries who sell their spells. *Strictly forbidden to create personal wealth or grant immortality. *Separated into five castes: warrior, healer, enchantress, conjurer, and seeress. *The only witch known to possess the powers of all five castes is Mariketa the Awaited. The Sept of Sorceri "The Sept forever seek and covet others’ powers, challenging and dueling to seize more—or more darkly, stealing another’s sorcery…" *A breed-line broken from the enchantment caste of the House of Witches. *Born with one innate power, their root power. If they lose it, they become slaves to their own kind called Inferi. They can trade and steal secondary powers. *One of the physically weaker species in the Lore, they used elaborate armors to protect their bodies. Eventually they held metals—and especially gold—sacred. *The Sorceri were led by Morgana who ruled as their regent. Interestingly her Queen power was to control other Sorceri. So she was literally the Queen of Sorceri, in both meanings of the word. The Furiae "If you do evil, beg for punishment—before they come… " *Ruthless she-warriors bent on delivering justice to evil men when they escape it elsewhere. *Led by Alecta the Unyielding One. The Berserkers "A berserker's lonely life is filled with naught but battle rage and bloodlust… " *A cadre of human warriors, known for their merciless brutality, who swear allegiance to Wóden. *Stronger and faster than mere mortals, they carry within them the spirit of the bear and can channel its ferocity into a berserkrage, temporarily becoming as powerful as an immortal. *When a berserker wins his two hundredth battle in Wóden's name, the god will grant him ohalla—immortality with untold strength. The Order "The immortal takers. Once captured by the Order, immortals do not return. . . ." *A multinational mortal operation created to study—and exterminate—nonhumans. *Thought to be an urban legend. The Sirenae "Near the sea’s edge, beware the siren’s song…" *A female species of immortals, they can permanently mesmerize and enslave males who hear their singing. *Derive power from the sea and can’t be away from it for more than one cycle of the moon. The Fey of Grimm Dominion, or the Draiksulia "Noble overlords ruling a class of demons." *Were Féodals, an ancient term for Feudals. *Masters in the art of poisons. *Males prefer to be called Draiks. *Many different subsets, including fire, ice, and forest fey. Wendigo "Corpse-eaters insatiable for flesh, ravenous for blood. They feed and feed, but can never be sated." *Found in the boreal forests of cold and northern lands. *Distinguishable by their long, knifelike claws, and bodies that are forever emaciated. *Will dig up graves for flesh. The Wraiths "… their origin unknown, their presence chilling." *Spectral, howling beings. Undefeatable and, for the most part, uncontrollable. *Also called the Ancient Scourge The Vessel "To be chosen is to be doomed …" *At the cusp of each Accession, a chosen female will beget a child who will become a warrior of either ultimate evil or of ultimate good—depending upon the father. *Of the last seven Vessels, six have spawned evil. *Some factions seek to assassinate the Vessel to prevent any birth. Others battle to possess her and control her offspring. Revenants "The dead robbed of eternal rest, forced to serve a dark master . . ." *A corpse raised from the grave and reanimated, most often by a sorcerer or necromancer, who controls it. *Can’t be slain until the one who commands it is killed. The Kobolds "When eyes are on them, winsome they seem. Eyes away, and you can’t imagine what they become." *Gnomelike creatures that dwell in mines. The name of the capricious and dangerous mined element cobalt is derived from this species. The Ghouls "Even immortals beware its bite …" *Humans turned savage monsters, with glowing green skin, yellow eyes, and contagious bites and scratches. *Their imperative is to increase their number by contagion. *They’re said to travel in troops. The Scârbă "Abominations, created rather than born, with unnatural powers—and hungers. . . ." *Demons poisoned with vampire blood who retain the traits of both species. *Previously thought to be truly mythical; considered abominations by most in the Lore. *Strongest of any sentient immortal being. *Colloquially known as vemons. The Turning "Only through death can one become an ‘other.’" *Some beings can turn a human or even other Lore creatures into their kind through differing means, but the catalyst for change is always death, and success is not guaranteed. The Talisman's Hie "A treacherous and grueling scavenger hunt for magickal talismans, amulets, and other mystical riches over the entire world." *Held every two hundred fifty years. *Hosted by Riora, the goddess of impossibility. *Won the last five times by the Valkyrie Kaderin the Cold Hearted. The Accession "And a time shall come to pass when all immortal beings in the Lore, from the Valkyrie, vampire, Lykae, and demon factions, to the witches, shifters, fey, and sirens … must fight and destroy each other." *A kind of mystical checks-and-balances system for an ever-growing population of immortals. *Occurs every five hundred years. Or right now …